This invention relates to communications among end user communication devices and more specifically to automated replies generated by an end user communication device in response to the receipt of a message.
Wireless communication devices are now prevalent throughout all developed countries of the world. Although cellular telephones are currently the most widespread, other types of wireless communication devices include personal digital assistants, laptop computers with Wi-Fi and/or telecommunication carrier communication support, and various types of “pads” that provide visual displays that are larger than conventional cellular telephones but typically smaller than the displays of a laptop computer. Wireless data communications between mobile devices utilizing different types of communication protocols, e.g. analog, TDMA, CDMA, VOIP, etc., are supported by different telecommunication carriers which provide appropriate communication protocol interfaces/gateways to facilitate data communications, e.g. character based messaging, between mobile units using different communication protocols. For example, short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), email such as by simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), and instant messaging utilizing hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) are available.
Character based messaging applications reside on end user devices as well as being supported by servers, e.g. web based email, etc. Some applications support the ability to automatically transmit, upon receipt of a message, a predetermined reply message to the originator of the received message. For example, the automated reply message may advise the originator that the recipient is unavailable, e.g. on vacation for 1 week. However, if the originator has set his message client to auto-respond, then a so called endless loop may result where the two message clients continue to send automated messages to each other in response to the receipt of the other's automated message.